Mindset of a Champion

"The Tournament Window"

With 6-8 weeks to go before a tournament, it’s time to adjust my training. I call this the “tournament window.” During this period, my focus sharpens, and my training intensity increases. I reserve high-intensity sessions for this window to prevent physical and mental burnout, as jiu-jitsu doesn’t have a traditional tournament season—we compete year-round. Having periods of higher and lower intensity training is essential for long-term success.

Training with Purpose

During the tournament window, you need to train with the mindset of competition. This doesn’t mean yanking on submissions but instead having a well-defined game plan and working through it in every roll. Your key moves should become as clean and consistent as possible.

The intensity of your rolls will also increase. Again, this doesn’t mean reckless aggression; it’s about bringing a more focused, aggressive energy to your training. Minimize distractions and joking during these rolls, and stay focused on controlling the match and executing your game plan.

Training Progression

In the early weeks of the tournament window, I primarily roll with purple belts. I need opponents who can move, respond, and attack well—but not to the point where they can overpower me. This allows me to work through my game plan with strong resistance, while still being able to execute what I need to.

As I move into the middle of the tournament window, I focus more on rolling with brown and black belts. By this point, I’ve been refining my game plan for a few weeks and know exactly how I plan to compete. Training with higher-level opponents helps me identify which parts of my game are solid and which areas need tightening before the tournament.

In the final two weeks, I shift back to primarily rolling with purple belts. This helps reduce fatigue and lowers the risk of injury as I focus on fine-tuning my technique and preserving my energy for the big day.

Tournament Day Preparation

The day of the tournament has arrived. After weeks of training with purpose, now it’s time to execute. To block out the noise of the competition, I wear noise-canceling headphones and find a quiet spot away from the mats. As I practice deep breathing, I visualize my game plan from start to finish. I imagine winning every match and, if I know my opponents, I visualize how I will execute my plan against them.

If any doubts or negative thoughts creep in during my visualization, I acknowledge them and redirect my focus back to my game plan. I remind myself that I will succeed. I take breaks to listen to music and relax so I don’t mentally exhaust myself.

About an hour before my match, I start taping my fingers and mentally walk through my game plan again. I continue the mental rehearsal as I stretch and do a light warm-up. By the time I step onto the mat, I’m physically and mentally prepared. It’s time to execute.